Red Green to judge this year’s river regatta

KUAC’s 16th annual Red Green Regatta will launch at 11 a.m. from the Graehl Park boat launch. The event will end at Pioneer Park with an awards ceremony. The public can view the regatta from Wendell and Cushman Street bridges, the pedestrian bridge near Pioneer Park and along the shores of the Chena River.

The regatta is a celebration of “The Red Green Show,” a comedy series that airs Saturday nights at 8 p.m. on KUAC-TV public broadcasting.

“Interior Alaska can really relate to Red Green and his duct-tape humor, and he loves our community, that’s why he’s back for the second time in less than two years,” says KUAC general manager Keith Martin. Steve Smith – a.k.a. Red Green – appears in the Golden Days Parade on Saturday. He performs his one-man “Wit & Wisdom” show at 7 p.m. at Hering Auditorium the evening of the regatta; tickets are available through www.alaskatix.com.

Celebrity judges will rate this year’s watercraft based on innovative use of the handyman’s secret weapon (duct tape), imagination and integration of the Red Green theme. Entrants vie for deluxe, water-worthy prizes supplied by Paddler’s Cove Outfitters & Compeau’s, as well as special awards, including “Best Viewed at a Distance,” “Most Un ‘fathom’ able” and “Harold’s Debacle.” Winners will be announced at the finish line at approximately 1 p.m. at the Pioneer Park boat launch.

Registrations for the regatta will be taken by phone until Friday, July 20 at noon by calling 907-474-2673.

After that, register at the event between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at Graehl Park boat launch. The registration fee is $30 per vessel, which includes an official T-shirt designed by local graphic design artist Sue Sprinkle. Additional T-shirts are available at the regatta for $20 each. Official rules, prize information, and liability and registration forms are available at www.kuac.org.